Department of Infectious Diseases, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1277# Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430022, China.
Department of Pediatrics, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province (Women and Children's Hospital of Hubei Province), Wuhan, China.
Virol J. 2018 Jun 18;15(1):101. doi: 10.1186/s12985-018-1010-y.
Chinese woodchucks (M. himalayana) were recently found to be susceptible to woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) infection. In this study, we aimed to determine the susceptibility to WHV infection of M. himalayana from different areas and their association with the animal genetic background exemplified by cytochrome B and MHC-DRB molecules.
Animals from four different areas in Qinghai province were inoculated with WHV59 strains. The virological markers including WHV surface antigen (WHsAg), WHV core antibody (WHcAb), and WHV DNA in serum were measured by ELISA and Real-time PCR, respectively. The sequences of cytochrome B gene and MHC-DRB molecules were obtained and sorted with Clustalx software. The nucleotide variation sites were identified using MEGA5 software.
The animals from four different areas had different susceptibility to WHV infection. Animals from TR and TD areas had a high level of long-lasting viremia, while those from GD and WL areas had a low level of transient viremia after WHV inoculation. All of the animals belong to the same subspecies M. himalayana robusta identified by cytochrome B gene sequences. Based on their nucleotide variation pattern, 8 alleles of cytochrome B gene were identified, and 7 MHC-DRB alleles were identified. Allele A of cytochrome B and Allele Mamo-DRB102 of MHC-DRB was found to be frequent in animals from TR and TD areas, while Allele H of cytochrome B and Allele Mamo-DRB107 of MHC-DRB was predominant in animals from GD and WL areas.
Chinese woodchucks from different areas differed in their susceptibility to WHV infection, though they belong to the same subspecies M. himalayana robusta. The genetic background exemplified by cytochrome B and MHC-DRB differed in Chinese woodchucks with different susceptibility to WHV infection.
最近发现中国土拨鼠（M. himalayana）易感染土拨鼠肝炎病毒（WHV）。本研究旨在确定来自不同地区的 M. himalayana 对 WHV 感染的易感性，并以细胞色素 B 和 MHC-DRB 分子为例，研究其与动物遗传背景的关系。
用 WHV59 株对来自青海省四个不同地区的动物进行接种。采用 ELISA 和 Real-time PCR 分别检测血清中的 WHV 表面抗原（WHsAg）、WHV 核心抗体（WHcAb）和 WHV DNA。采用 Clustalx 软件获取并排序细胞色素 B 基因和 MHC-DRB 分子的序列。采用 MEGA5 软件识别核苷酸变异位点。
来自四个不同地区的动物对 WHV 感染的易感性不同。来自 TR 和 TD 地区的动物具有高水平的持续病毒血症，而来自 GD 和 WL 地区的动物在 WHV 接种后则出现低水平的短暂病毒血症。所有动物均通过细胞色素 B 基因序列鉴定为同一亚种 M. himalayana robusta。根据其核苷酸变异模式，鉴定出 8 个细胞色素 B 基因等位基因和 7 个 MHC-DRB 等位基因。细胞色素 B 的等位基因 A 和 MHC-DRB 的等位基因 Mamo-DRB102 在来自 TR 和 TD 地区的动物中较为常见，而细胞色素 B 的等位基因 H 和 MHC-DRB 的等位基因 Mamo-DRB107 在来自 GD 和 WL 地区的动物中占主导地位。
来自不同地区的中国土拨鼠尽管属于同一亚种 M. himalayana robusta，但对 WHV 感染的易感性存在差异。细胞色素 B 和 MHC-DRB 等遗传背景在对 WHV 感染易感性不同的中国土拨鼠中存在差异。
